


finders keepers

by glass_icarus



Category: Wild Adapter
Genre: Chromatic Character, Chromatic Source, Chromatic Source Creator, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-08
Updated: 2008-03-08
Packaged: 2017-10-14 08:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/147426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glass_icarus/pseuds/glass_icarus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Frankly... not much has changed for me. I'm alive. I'm still breathing. Oh yeah, and just the other day, I took in a cat. He's big for a stray. He looks like he'll be a lot of trouble. But he also looks like a tough one. This time I'm thinking I'll be the first to die.</i>-- Wild Adapter, vol.1</p>
            </blockquote>





	finders keepers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mosh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mosh/gifts).



> Birthday ficlet for Mosh.

_Ramen_ , Kubota thinks, _salt flavor._ He turns the corner, unnoticed by the businessmen as drifters so often are, disappearing among the trash heaps and broken crates with ease.

"What-!"

\--

There are two kinds of people in cities like this: those who exist in the daylight, and those who don't. Kubota has known this all his life. Never, though, has he come across a person like the one crumpled at his feet.

This man could almost be beautiful: unruly dark hair contrasting dramatically with his pale skin, long lashes fluttering against a fine-boned face. What Kubota notices, however, are the clawed, furry fingers of his right hand, just like those of the "beast" corpses his uncle has discovered.

Puffing on his cigarette, he leans in. The young man is still breathing quietly, apparently asleep. Kubota blinks once, thoughtfully.

What the hell; he's always liked cats.

His new stray's arm feels warm and heavy across his shoulders. Kubota stands awkwardly, then pulls a glove out of his pocket and slips it carefully over the strange hand before continuing on his way home.

\--

His cat sleeps a lot, he's discovered. (In fact, that's all he does, but Kubota thinks he'll wait a while before he starts to worry.) It makes for peaceful days, but it also makes washing a bit difficult. The smell isn't so bad, for one discovered in a back alley trash heap, but a few more days and Kubota's apartment may become unpleasantly ripe.

Kubota eyes his bucket of warm water, sighs, and rolls up his sleeves. "I hope you're not going to get used to this," he mutters as he soaps up a rag and swipes it gently down one arm. The skin is pale and soft under the muck, and Kubota blinks at the sudden curl in his stomach.

He forgets about it a moment later when a sudden twitch sends the rag flying to dangle, dripping, from the rims of his glasses.

"... I _knew_ you looked like trouble."

\--

According to Kou, there's nothing wrong with his stray; his vitals are perfectly normal, except for the fact that he's asleep. Kubota is thankful that the doctor had only raised an eyebrow at the strange furred hand- he likes Kou, and has no particular desire to kill him.

He opens the window and lights a cigarette, watching the red flare against the dusty grey street. Kubota sighs and exhales.

"Hnn..."

Kubota turns. His cat sniffs, stretches, and blinks. "Cigarettes..."

"Good morning," Kubota says.

"Who're you?"

\--

"Kubo-chan, you're home!" Tokito bounces toward the kitchen, eyes fixed on the grocery bag in Kubota's hand. He scrunches up his nose when Kubota takes out his bowl of salt ramen.

" _Kubo_ -chaaaaaaan-"

"I bought curry for you, little cat."

"Yay!" Tokito extracts the second bowl from the plastic and digs in enthusiastically. "Oh, hey, Kasai-san stopped by today. We went to see the cherry blossoms in the park! They're so pretty, Kubo-chan! We should go see them together. I like spring."

Kubota smiles.

Yokohama looks beautiful in the springtime.


End file.
